Bottle-washing machine.



A. L. FOREMAN.

BTTL'E WASHING MACHQNE.

APPucmoN min mv 1a. |915.

1,256,482. Patented Feb. 12,1918.

5 SHEETS--SHEEI' 2.

A. L. FREMAN.

BOTTLE WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I3, I9I5.

Patented Feb. 12, 1918.

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BOTTLE WASHING MACHINE.

APPUcATloN HLED MAY13. |915.

1,256,482. Patented Feb.12,191s.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

WITNESSES JNVEMTOR www e Amor L. ForirqA/J 5441314.11;

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BOTTLE WASHING MACHZNE.

1,256,482 APPLICATXON FILED MAY i3, 1915. Patented Feb 12 5 SHEETS-SHEEI' 5.

WITNESSE Amo u FOQMAPJ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANOS L. FOREMAN, 0F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

BOTTLE-'WASHING MACHINE.

Application led May 13, 1915.

To all whom it 'may concern.'

Be it known that I, AMos L. FonnMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing in Baltimore, Maryland, have invented certain Improvements inBottleNashing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The bottle washing, rinsing and sterilizing machine which constitutesthe subject of my present invention is of the same generai type as thatforming the subject of my ap plication Serial No. 547,034, filed March3d, 1910, the main objects of my present invention being to dispensewith the use of brushes or equivalent devices for removing theaccumulation of foreign matter from the interiors of the bottles.reliance for this purpose being placed upon the forcible projection ofjets of washing fluid, water or steam against the surfaces to becleaned; to effect iinal sterilization by the successive contact lirstIof water jets, then of saturated steam jets, and then of live steam jetswith the interior of each bottle` and to so direct the jets as to causea rapid swirling movement of the relatively thin film of fluid incontact with all portions of the inner wail of each bottle.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a central longitudinal sectionof the forward half of a bottle washing. rinsing and sterilizing machineconstructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. :2 iS a similar section of the rear half of the same;

Fig. 3 is an end view looking in the direction of the arrow Fie'. 1;

Fig'. 4 is a side elevation of the pipe sys tem of the machine;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section on enlarged scale of the cylinder of ahydraulic power device forming part of the machine',

Fig. G is a horizontal section on the line @#41, Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a top view of a part of the machine illustrating certaingearing used in connection with the crate lowering and raisina'mechanism;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged vertical section of one of the jet nozzlesemployed in connection with the washing. rinsing and stcrilizing devicesof the machine;

Fig. 9 is a top view of the same, and

Figs. 1t), 11. l2 and 13 are dltached views of certain elements of themachine not fully illustrated in the general views,

The main tank of the machine extends Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 12, 1918.

Serial No. 27,802.

from end to end of the same and is divided by partitions 1 and 2 intothree compartments, that adjacent to the front end of the machine beingin turn divided by partitions 3 and 4 into three chambers 5, G and 7(see Fig. 1) that nearest the rear end of the machine containing asingle chamber 10 and the intermediate compartment containing twochambers 8 and 9 separated from one another by a partition 11, as shownin Fig. 2.

The bottles are treated while in an inverted position and Whilecontained in their carrying boxes or crates, the latter with the bottlesbeing fed intermittently forward over the top of the tank and suchmovement being arrested when the bottle carrying crate is over each ofthe chambers of the tank in order that the crate of bottles may bepushed down into said chamber and subjected to the action of thecleansing or other devices contained therein.

The continuity of the top structure of the tank is interrupted aboveeach of the chambers 6 to 9, inclusive, for the reception of a cratesupportinmframe 12 which is supported upon ropes or chains 13 passingover sheaves 1l suitably mounted upon bearings at the sides of the tank.said ropes being provided with counterbalance weights 15 (Fig. 3) whosetendency is to maintain the frames 12 constantly in the elevatedposition shown in Figs. 1 and 2. while permitting them to be depressedinto their corresponding chambers when the bottle carrying cratesmounted upon them are subjected to pressure tending to cause suchdepression.

Tbe intermittent forward movement of the crates is effected by means ofpusbers 16 carried by a frame 1T mounted upon the top structure of thetank and having at one end a handle 18 whereby it may be moved forwardlyand backwardly, forward movement being imparted to it and to the boxesor crates when the frames 152 are elcvatcd and backward movement beingimparted to said frame 17 during the time that the bottle carrying boxesor crates are depressed into the chambers tl to 9 of the niarhinc, andhence interposc no obstruction to such backward movement. After eachbackward movement of the frame 17 a fresh crate of bottles is fed intothe empty space above the chamber as shown by dotted lines in Fig: l. sothat on the next forward movement of said frame 17 this fresh crate ofbottles will be fed into position over the chamber 6.

The chambers 5, 6 and 7 of the compartment at the front end of themachine contain lye or other Washing solution for the bottles, thechamber' being in communication through a pipe 2O with the inlet member:a of a suitably located force pump A. (Fig. 13) and the chamber 6 beingin communication through a pipe 21' with the discharge member m of saidpump. The chamber 7 is connected to the pipe 20 through a pipe 22 sothat in the o eration of the machine the cleansing fiui is beingconstantly discharged from the pump into the chamber 6 and drawn intothe pump from the chambers 5 and 7, the Huid freely over- Howing fromthe chamber 6 into the chambers 5 and 7 over the tops of theirpartitions 3 and 4.

In the chamber 5 are located strainers 23 which serve to catch andretain any relatively large particles of foreign matter carried by thewashing Huid which passes through the chamber 5 on its` way to the pipe20, and in the chamber 7 is a vertical strainer 24 which performs a likefunction in connection with the washing fiuid passing through thechamber 7 to the pipe 22, thereby preventing the clcgging of the jetopenings in the chamber 6 throu h which the cleansing fluid is injectedinto t e bottles contained in said chamber, as will be hereina fterdescribed.

The heating of the washing fluid in the chambers 5 and 6 is effected bymeans of steam pipes 25 and 26 contained in said chambers, these pipesreceiving their sup ly of steam from a pipe 27 which is provided with avalve 28 whereby the volume of How through the same can be convenientlyregulated. The steam issues from each of the pipes 25 and 26 through ajet nozzle 29 contained within a tubular casing 30 which is of greaterdiameter than the nozzle and projects forwardly beyond the same, asshown in Fig. 10, this tubular casing having openings 31 therein for theentrance of water from the chamber 5 or 6 so that. the action of thesteam jet is to cause a forcible flow of fiuid from the chamber throughthe casing 30 and thence back info the chamber again, thereby not onlyheating` the fluid but setting up such a circulation of the same in thechamber as will effectually bring all portions of it into contact withthe steam from the jet 29 and thus cause uniform heating ofthe cleansingHuid.

Each of the chambers 5 to 10, inclusive,

.is closed at the bottom by a base plate 5,

6*. 7, 8, 9 or 10', specially constructed with reference to theparticular function which it is intended to perform in connection withthe chamber to which it is applied, thus the base plates of the chambers6, 8 and 9 are centrally recessed to form chambers 6b, 8h and 9bcommunicating at the bottom With the pipe whereby fluid under pressureis supp ied thereto, cach of these chambers being closed at the top by aplate 32 from which project upwardly as many pipes 33 as there arebottles in a crate, these pipes being so disposed that as the crate ofbottles is pushed down into the chamber the various pipes will entercentrally the mouths of their respective bottles and will extendupwardly into the interiors ot the bottles, it being understood that thebottle crates are so constructed as to properly support the invertedbottles and prevent them from dro ping out of the crates.

ach of the pipes 33` is provided at the top with a conical cap 34 Figs 8and 9) havin formed therein a p urality of tangentia nozzles 35 fromwhich the fiuid under pressure will issue in the form of upwardly andforwardly directed jets which `forcibly strike the inner wall of thebottle and serve not only to remove adhering particles of foreign matterfrom said inner wall but also to cause rotation of the bottle so as tobring all portions of the surface of said inner wall under the action ofthe jets, the latter, as the bottles are depressed, beginning theiraction upon the inside of the bottle at the mouth and graduallyadvancing their plane of action upwardly through the bottle toward thelottom of the same as the depression of the bottle into the chamber ofthe tank continues, such action being reversed as the bottles are raisedfrom the chamber. The effect of the tangential jets is to cause arapidly rotating film of fluid which is relatively thin but is inintimate contact with the inner wall or bottom of the bottle and actspowerfully to remove any particles of foreign matter which may beadhering to said inner wall or to the bottom of the bottle.

At the same time that the bottle is thus being cleansed internally theoutside of the same is likewise being cleansed by contact of the samewith the fluid contained in the c .amber in which the bottle isimmersed, the level of said Huid in the chambers 5, 6 and 7 beingnormally in line with the tops of the partitions 3 and 4. Not only isthe fluid contained in each of the chambers in constant motion but thebottles themselves are in rotation about their axes because of theaction of the tangential jets of fluid upon the inner surfaces of thebottles as before explained, hence effective cleaning both of theinsides and the outsides of the bottles can be effected without the useof brushes or equivalent scrubbing or cleansing devices.

The depression of the bottle carrying crates in the chambers 6. 7, 8 and9 is ef- 130 of line with the nozzles.'

fected by means of depressors 3G which have depending fingers 37 forentering between the inverted bottles in the crate and properlycentering said bottles in respect to the jet pipes 33. Each of thedepressors 36 constitutes a shallow tank with openings 38 in the bottomof the same so disposed that one of these openings is directly aboveeach of the bottles in the crate. As the depressor is thrust down intothe washing fluid, hot water, or other liquid contained in the chamberbelow, it becomes filled with said li uid and as the depressor risesabove the leve of liquid in the chamber the liquid contained in saiddepressor gradually flows therefrom through the openings in the bottomthereof, and pours over the bottoms of the inverted bottles in thecrate, thereby removing from said bottoms of the bottles any foreimatters which may have been deposite thereupon.

As before explained the lifting movement of the crates is effected bythe action of the counterbalance weights upon the crate supportingframes 12, and depression of the crates is effected by means of ahydraulic power cylinder 40 located at one side of the tank and having apiston with rod 41 provided at its upper end with a rack 42, the latterengaging a spur wheel 43 on a shaft 44, which spur wheel is in mesh withanother spur wheel 45 on a shaft 46, the latter carrying spur wheels 47which are in mesh with rack bars 48 vertically guided in suitablebearings in crossheads 49 mounted upon vertical supporting rods 50 atopposite sides of the tank, as shown in Fig. 3.

The rack bars 48 carry spiders each consisting of a member 51 at thelower end of the rack bar and another member 52 at the upper end of therack bar, these upper and lower members being connected by suitablebraces 53 so as to provide a rigid structure which carries a pairvofdepressors 36, one spider carrying the depressors for the chambers 6 and7, as shown in Fig. 1, and the other carrying the depressors for thechambers 8 and 9, as shown in Fig. 2. lVhen, therefore, the piston ismoved from the top to the bottom of the cylinder 40 the depressors willbe lowered and the bottle carrying crates will be forced down into thechambers 6, 7, 8 and 9, and when the piston is caused to travel upwardlyin the cylinder 40 the depressors will be raised and the bottle carryingcrates will be lifted from the chambers by the supporting frames 12.

Within the chambers 6, 8 and 9, which are equipped with the pipescarrying the 'et nozzles, are disposed fixed vertical gui e rods 54which, by contact with the sides and ends of the crates, serve tomaintain the same in their proper relation to the nozzle pipes andprevent lateral shifting of the bottles out The chamber 8 is a rinsingchamber in which the bottles are subjected to the action of clean hotwater introduced under pressure into the chamber by means of a pipe 55which communicates with the discharge end of a suitable pressure pumpconveniently located, the inlet end of said pump being in communication,through a pipe 56, with a strainer vessel 57 contained in said chamber 8and serving to provide for the outflow of the water therefrom to thepump preparatory to its return to the nozzle pipes 33 through the pipe55.

Between the washing chamber 6 and the rinsing chamber 8 is interposedthe chamber 7 which receives the final drip from the previously washedbottles and prevents any carrying over into the rinsing chamber 8 of thelye or other fluid with which the original Washing of the bottles wasaccomplished, for, owing to the rapid whirling motion of the body of liuid in the newly washed bottles said liquit does not drain rapidly fromthe bottles as they are lifted from the chamber 6 but continues to draintherefrom after they have passed into the chamber 7, suiiicient time,however, being afforded in the transit of the bottles from the washingchamber 6 into and through the chamber 7 to insure the complete drainageof the washing fluid from the bottles before they reach the rinsingchamber 8.

The heating of the water in the rinsing chamber 8 or the maintenance ofthis heat is provided for by means similar to those employed in heatingthe washing fluid in the chambers 5 and 6, that is to say, by means ofan injector 30 supplied with steam from a valved branch pipe 27a leadingfrom a main steam pipe 60, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The main steampipe 60 has a valve 61, whereby the volume of flow through the same canbe regulated as desired and it also has a valve 62 whereby flow throughit may be established or cut off as desired, this valve beingautomatically opened and closed by the rising and falling movements ofthe spider which carries the depressors operating.,lr in conjunctionwith the chambers 8 and t) of the tank, the lower member 51 of saidspider carrying a pin 63 (Fig. 3) which cooperates with a forked arm 64(Figs. 3 and 11) on a stem 65 of the valve 62 so as to open said valvewhen the spider descends and close it as the spider rises.

The steam pipe 60 has a branch 66 leading to the upper end of a coil 67in the chamber 10 of the tank, the lower end of said coil dischargingthrough pipes 68 and 69 into the jet pipes 33 in the sterilizing chamber9 of the tank, said pipe 68 having a branch pipe 70 which communicateswith a drain pipe 71 in said chamber 9, and said pipe 70 being providedwith a check valve 72 which opens toward the pi e 68.

The hydrau ic cylinder 40 is supplied with (itl water under pressurefrom a pipe 73 which communicates with a fourway valve 74 (Fi. 12) thecasing of said valve having three other branches 75, 76 and 77, thebranch 75 leading to the upper end of the cylinder 40, the branch 76leading to the lower end ofthe cylinder, and the branch 77 constitutingthe exhaust pipe through which water can escape from either end of thecylinder.

The valve 74 is provided with an arm 78 which is connected by a rod 79to an operating lever 80 at one end of the tank, as shown in Fig. 1,said valve 74 when in one extreme position opening communication betweenthe inlet pipe 73 and the pipe 75 and between the pipe 76 and theexhaust pipe 77, as shown in Fig. 12, and when in the other positionreversing these conditions, that is to say, opening communicationbetween the inlet pipe 73 and the pipe 76 and between the pipe 75 andthe exhaust pipe 77, whereby proper manipulation ol' the lever 80 may becaused to force the piston either downwardly or upwardly in the cylinder40. The exhaust pipe 77 communicates with the branch steam pipe GGthrough a check valve 81 which opens toward the steam pipe 66 and whensaid valve, or a stop valve 81a adjacent thereto, is closed, water maybe diverted from the pipe 77 into a stand pipe 82 in which it is free torise and al as its volume increases or diminishes.

When the valve 62 in the steam pipe 60 is open steam under pressure hasfree access to the pipe 66 and coil G7 and closes the check valve 81 butwhen said valve 62 is closed the tiow of steam into the pipe 66 and coil[37 is cut oil1 and the steam commences to condense, which reduces thepressure in said pipe and coil to a point below the pressure in theexhaust pipe T7 of the hydraulic cylinder, and in the stand pipe SQ, andthe cheek valve 81 then opens and permits a flow of cold water into thepipe (if) and coil 67 so as to hasten the condensa tion oi' steamtherein and produce a partial vacuuna in the coil. This causes the checkvalve i2 to open and permits flow of water from the steriiizing chamberi) througli the .strainer T1 and pipe 70 into the lower end of the coil.the latter becoming quickly tilled with water.

ii'hen the valve i132 is again opened presw .sure ot' swam forces thewater trom the coil Iii thriinA l1 the pipe-s` titi and till, closingthe rheeh valve T2 and forcing' into the iiotties ,in the chan'iher i?.from the jet nozzles nu the pipes igil in said chamber., first watercontained in the lower portion of the coil it?. then the hotter water'ii-oni the steam which wasy cmidensed in said roii hy contact with thewater therein and which. at the ,same linie. heated `said water, andthen live steam as the water due to wudensation is ejected from the coiland the live steam follows it, the effect of this action being thecomplete sterilization of the bottles and the heating of the same to ahigh temperature prior to their removal from the machine. As theinverted bottles leave the machine they contain a rotating body of livesteam but as the body of the bottle 1s also at a high temperature thesteam will not be condensed by contact with the inner wall of the bottlebut by contact with the central core of air, and will be dischargedthrough the inverted mouth of the bottle, the inner wall of the bottle,after such discharge, being perfectly dry.

Communicating with the stand pipe 82 at points above its connection withthe exhaust pipe 77 are three branch pipes 83, 8l and 85, communicatingrespectively, with the chambers 5, 8 and 9 of the tank, each of thesebranch pipes being provided with suitable stop valves 86 so that, whendesired. the contents of the stand pipe may be drained therefrom intoeach or either of said tanks 5, 8 and 9, in order to replenish thevolume of liquid therein if such action becomes necessary.

At each end of the hydraulic cylinder is a head 90 (Figs. 5 and 6)surrounding the end portion of the cylinder and extending inwardlybeyond that portion of the same which contains perforations 91 throughwhich the water is admitted to and exhausted from the end of thecylinder. Contained in the head 90, and surrounding the perforatedportion of the cylinder, is a chamber 92 with which communicates thepipe 75 or 76 through which water is conducted to or from the end of thecylinder.

The perfor-ations 91 are disposed in an gular relation to the axial lineof the cylinder 40 so that as the piston in the cylinder moves away fromeither head 90 it will uncover one after another of said openings insuccession and will thus provide for a gradually increasing area` forthe inflow of the water under pressure behind it, and as the pistonapproaches either head of the cylinder the number of openings throughwhich the water can escape is gradually decreased, hence not only willthe piston start to inove` slowly and gradually increase in speed hutils movement toward each head nl' the cylinder will he graduallyeheehe'l and any shock or jar al the terniinalirni oi' its movenient ineither tlireii'lion will thereby be a voided.

l claim :w-

ll. The combination, in a bottle washing, rinsinar or steriliainirmachine. ol a liquid containing vessel. a fluid pressure nozzleprojecting upwardly therein :nul having tau- ;,fjeutiallv disposeddischarge anbrtnresa and means` For moving au invern-d hottie downwardlyand upwardly past said apertures and into and out of the liquid in thevessel whereby jets of Huid will be directed under pressure tangentiallyagainst the inner walls of the bottle to cleanse the same and will 6cause said bottle to rotate in contact with the surrounding liquid so asto simultaneously clean the outside of the bottle.

2. The combination, in a bottle washing or rinsing machine, of a liquidcontaining 10 chamber, a vertically yielding support for a crate ofinverted bottles, a crate depressor consisting of a tank having openingsin the bottom thereof, and means for raising and lowering said depressorwhereby, when it is depressed, it will receive a charge of liquid fromthe chamber below and, as it rises, will discharge said liquid throughthe bottom openings onto the bottoms of the inverted bottles. o

3. The combination, in a bottle washing rinsing or sterilizing machine,of a series of chambers, means for conveying crates of inverted bottlesforwardly over said chambers in succession, and means for depressing thebottle carrying crates, said means comprising a rack bar, means forraising and lowering the same, a spider mounte upon said rack bar andproiecting in opposite directions therefrom, and a plurality ofdepresss0 ors mounted upon the oppositely projecting bottom members ofsaid spider.

4, The combination, in a bottle washing,

rinsing or sterilizing machine of a series of chambers, means forconveying crates of inverted bottles forwardly over said chambers insuccession, and means for depressing the bottle carrying crates insuccession as they are brought into line with the chambers, said meanscomprising a rack bar, means for raising and lowerin the same, a. spidermounted upon said rack ar and comprising upper and lower members andbraces connecting the same, and a plurality of depressors mounted uponthe oppositely projectin bottom members of said spider.

5. 'he combination, in a bottle washing, rinsing, or sterilizingmachine, of a series of chambers, means for conveying crates of invertedbottles forwardly over said chambers in succession` means for depressingthe bottle carrying crates into said chambers in succession as they arebrought into line therewith, said means comprising a rack bar, means forraising and lowering the same, and a cross head disposed at a higherlevel than said chambers and provided with a guide for said rack bar.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

AMOS L. FOREMAN.

Witnesses:

KATE A. BEADLE, HAMILTON D. TURNER.

